If Luke Danes
by Mrs Dionysius O'Gall
Summary: Luke, Lorelai and a baby. A year or so after 6.22.


If Luke Danes was to think in terms of happiness and his existence, he'd definitely think that there couldn't be a happier man on this Earth than he.

But he isn't that type of person; and so, he just enters the house he spent so much time repairing, and later renovating, with a sense of home.

If Luke Danes was to think in terms of regret, he'd think back to the year before. He'd think back to when he sat in his truck all night in front of a swanky Hartford apartment. And he'd remember that the love of his life, inexplicably, was spending the entire night there. And he'd never have dreamed that all those problems that this event represented would be put into perspective and worked on, and that a year later, he would have not only his remarkable now fourteen-year-old daughter, but the wonderful, sparkling woman he'd agreed to spend the rest of his life with. And then he'd consider the bonus: a baby son.

But he isn't that type of person, and so, he just tiptoes quietly, remembering that keeping it, no wait, him, quiet is paramount these days.

A son. Luke is used to being surrounded by women. Except for his father, few men have profoundly influenced him. But consider the women: Liz, his mother, Lorelai, Rory, Mia, Ms. Patty, even Babette. Now he has a male someone he can influence. The boy is perfect, from his full dark head of hair to his oft-changing eyes. And he is even perfect in his apparent propensity to take after his mother: the boy is quite the baby-talker already.

Just days earlier, Luke brought his wife and son home from the hospital in his trusty truck, car seat firmly anchored in the middle. He'd thought of buying something more appropriate for a family, now that there were three of them most days, and four on others. But Lorelai, well, isn't the most practical of car buyers. So they hadn't yet had a chance to find anything else.

If Luke Danes was to think in terms of mood, he'd realize that his demeanor has slowly changed over the past year. The curmudgeonly sense of loneliness that has been part of his life has been slowly erased by April, then excised in wide swaths by the brush of effervescence that is his wife. He'd realize that he'd carried a burden of pain and loss in his heart for so many years, that it became his normal. But now he has a new normal, one that perhaps has no room for a dark day.

But he isn't that kind of person, and so, the pain eradicated by these three special people is a distant memory. And his boy meets a father who is a new person.

These days, instead of worrying overly much about Taylor's machinations, his mind is preoccupied with April's activities and even more so by the two people--they were two, he marveled, two from one...that he watches peacefully settle into the most comfortable spot on the living room couch. The scene reminds him so much of his own childhood, especially of his mother. He's always known that Lorelai was a fantastic mother; he saw her in action for many years. But never with one so young and new.

If Luke Danes was to think in such terms, he'd realize that Lorelai has slowed down because of him, because they share this baby.

But he doesn't think in those terms. Instead, he accepts without question that Lorelai is a gentle and loving mother to their little boy. Suddenly, time at the inn is the least of her priorities. He never imagined that she'd substitute catering a fabulous Inn function for rocking an infant at her breast, or snuggling in bed on a lazy morning with little Will on one side, and Paul Anka on the other, while he caters to their every whim.

Yet she does, and patiently, with a smile.

He can't help but think back a year, to the pain on her face when she asked him to elope. That caused weeks of sleeplessness as he realized his part in the disaster.

But that seems so far away now. Because of him.

William Gilmore Danes: born mere days ago. At 9 pounds, 11 ounces, he certainly caused his exercise-averse mother to have the workout of a lifetime.

If Luke Danes was to think in such terms, he'd marvel that a year ago, their engagement was for all intents and purposes, over. And that it was mostly his fault for causing such profound sadness in his then-fiancée.

But Luke Danes barely had time to come to grips with the broken engagement, and the ramifications of Lorelai's all-nighter with that…with Rory's father.

In spite of his sleeplessness, he'd still noticed certain things.

For example, Lorelai was barely showing when he noticed her condition as she skulked past the diner on a rare appearance on his street. She obviously hadn't had the nerve to tell him about it, or maybe, was punishing him for his misdeeds the same way that Anna had punished him--for twelve years!--for his attitude towards children.

It was a beautiful day, and the diner was relatively empty, when he noticed the slight pooching of her abdomen as she passed by.

The funny thing is that he never doubted for a moment that the child was his. After he confronted her, she offered repeatedly to establish paternity. But he knew that it was his. He clearly remembered the mood swings she'd been having, avoiding him, and giving him that marry-me-now-or-never ultimatum. He'd seen it with Liz, too.

If Luke Danes was to think in such terms, he'd have waited until the child was born before reconciling with Lorelai.

But Luke Danes took his moment. He acknowledged his part in their downfall, convinced her of the greater good, and so asked her to marry him. More importantly, he showed her that he trusted and loved her by taking her at her word, by promising to forgive and forget about her transgression. He even bought her a new engagement ring, to symbolize their new beginning. It took some doing to convince her that the baby was just a catalyst to bring them back together; that he would marry her even if she wasn't carrying their child. The bottom line was that he loved her; she loved him, and the pain of the shattered engagement made them both realize that they needed each other more than ever.

If Luke Danes was to act in such a way, he would have put his foot down when the Gilmores got involved in the wedding.

But Luke Danes knew that because of his not trusting Lorelai about April, that her dreams had turned into so much flyaway dust. And so, he offered her free rein.

Surprisingly, their wedding was small, especially by Gilmore standards. Less than twenty persons. Luke wanted to give her so much more, but she protested that, to her, it was the legality of the marriage that counted, not the wedding. Besides, she no longer could fit into the dress.

Luke is the type of man who cherishes love and family. Because when you don't have something for so long, and then you finally get your moment, you need to take it.

So Luke looks at his new son. Will squirms, dreaming perchance, against Lorelai's chest. Not wanting to waken her, Luke gently picks the boy up and rocks him in the cradle of one arm. Ah yes, the football hold. Smart of them to use sports, he thinks.

Luke has failed at his task of keeping his wife asleep.

"Mmmm, burger boy, home early?" Lorelai murmurs from the couch.

He smiles at Lorelai. "Lane and Cesar can handle things."

"Well, I'm certainly not complaining about having you home more, but are you sure they won't burn the place down? That Cesar sure likes those cold bananas…he could change the whole menu while you're away!" she teases.

Luke laughs.

Lorelai is suddenly overwhelmed with tears.

Luke shoots her a glance that speaks volumes: he panics; why is she sad?

But she is quick to set him straight. "I like your smile. It looks good on you."

He inclines towards her, still holding the baby, as he brushes a kiss across her forehead. "Hey, what's going on?" he asks, brushing his lips across the tears still on her cheek.

"Our middle. I think we're going to have our middle."

Luke nods. "Your whole package…"

"It was something I always wanted, but never thought I'd have."

He nods again, silently.

"And when I went to Christopher…"

"No, Lorelai, don't mention him…" he quietly requests.

"No, Luke. I have to. I always thought it could be him. But that night, I figured out that I wouldn't want it--the whole package--if you weren't part of it. I think that in some way, I've known that since the first day we met."

She smiles at him, a smile of contentment, not sadness. "And just like it took you eight years to tell me…" she continues.

"Shhh. We're a family. That's what counts…"

Smiling, she stands, gently takes Will from his arms and carries him to the cradle Luke has made. He is fast asleep as she lays him down.

Returning to Luke's side, she places a hand on his cheek and simply says, "Thank you."

"For what?" he retorts, pretending to be oblivious.

"For being here for us. It's so different having this baby with you than by myself."

"Shhh. Remember, the doctor said you should sleep when the baby sleeps. Why don't you lay down here and I'll fix you a snack?"

She wrinkles her nose at him. "No coffee yet?" she hopefully asks.

"Nope."

"You're worse than the soup nazi."

-----

Twenty minutes later, Will is wailing.

"Do you think you should feed him?" Luke asks. The parenting instinct is still honing itself.

"Can you change him first then bring him to me?" Lorelai asks, sitting up.

When her two boys return, she reclaims the baby from Luke and begins to feed him. Luke looks on, as if he is in heaven. He wonders if Anna fed April like this. Was she alone?

But Luke is not the type of person to dwell on things he can't help. So he redirects his thoughts to the scene in front of him.

Lorelai looks up at him. She chuckles. "It's different when it's your own, isn't it? Jam hands don't seem so bad…"

"Lorelai, you're so beautiful…like that…"

"I know," she teases in return. "You like these puppies…"

He at least has the good grace to be embarrassed.

-----

If Luke Danes was the type of man who one hundred percent compartmentalizes his life, he'd be embarrassed when his wife and kid visit him in the diner.

Soon after the baby's birth, Lorelai stops by the diner while out walking the baby and Paul Anka. As always, Luke doesn't have to guess when Lorelai enters the diner. The sound of clanging bells seems to change when she opens the door. He stands behind the counter and watches as she carries the child in, leaving the stroller outside, Paul Anka reposing next to it.

"Ah hem..." Luke hears Taylor clear his throat, drawing the attention of the entire clientele. Even the baby seems to turn incline his head Taylor's way.

The officious selectman makes a vain attempt to metamorphose into a doting uncle persona. Luke quickly intervenes. "Stop it with the cootchy-coos, Taylor!"

"May I?" Taylor asks, and it takes Lorelai a moment to realize that he is offering to take Will. It might be worth it for the comedy aspect, she thinks, and besides, Will just might be too young to be traumatized. So she hands him to Taylor. Will doesn't seem nearly as content as when he is with Kirk or Jackson.

"So, are you just out for your walk, or do you have other errands to run?" Luke wonders, nervously looking at Taylor, who doesn't seem inclined to relinquish the boy.

"Nope. Just a quick visit to check on Daddy."

Luke's getting more nervous.

"Maybe he'll upchuck on Taylor," Lorelai whispers conspiratorially as she smiles back at him. But she goes back to Taylor, arms outstretched, to retrieve her son.

Luke and Lorelai banter for a few minutes more, serious conversation about family--Liz's baby, Rory and Logan...Then Lorelai smiles and kisses her husband. "Time to introduce Will to the diner," she says.

"Your name be Toby," she intones in an attempt to deepen her voice, as she holds the boy high over her head.

"Lorelai…" Luke protests.

But she continues. "So what do you think, Will? Do you like it here?"

Amazingly, his eyes seemed to scan the diner, coming to rest finally on Luke's face.

"One thing's for sure, with you as his mom, he'll always be entertained," Luke adds, kissing both of them on the forehead.

"Aw sugar, look at the perfect family." It's Babette, ambling up to the counter, beaming at little Will. "He a good baby, sugar?" she asks.

"All babies are good," Lorelai replies, "But hey, even my Mom's been saying that he's a good baby--better than me when I was his age. Though that's not saying a lot…"

"So who's gonna watch him when you go back to work?" Babette pries.

"I'm setting up a nursery at the Dragonfly…" Lorelai replies, then trails off.

"Then it'll work out for all of you, but I'll bet his daddy will miss him."

If Luke was the type of man who didn't wear his heart on his sleeve, he wouldn't react to Babette.

But instead, he smiles shyly.

"Aw, look at your man, sugar," Babette continues to gush. "Luke showin' his love for his wife and kid."

"Well, it's been great Babette, but I guess we'd better get going and let Daddy get back to work," Lorelai says, addressing Will. She leans across the counter to kiss Luke on the lips, lingering there for a moment before leaving.

If Luke was the type of man to not care about his family, he'd return to his chores and banish them from his thoughts. But he's not that type of man.

Luke turns back to the bills he'd been perusing. The diner customers smile to themselves, for Luke is smiling.

He knows already that back at home, Lorelai has snuggled onto the bed with their boy. And that later, his daughter will come over, and she no longer has to stay at the diner. Maybe today they'll go home to play with her brother, he thinks.

"Cesar," he yells, "can you cover for me when April gets here?"

Because that's the type of man that Luke is. 


End file.
